Published: Sunday, June 18, 2006 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, June 18, 2006 at 12:00 a.m.

Born on Nov. 1, 1957, Lovett was raised north of Houston in the unincorporated farming community known as Klein community, named after Lovett's great-great grandfather Adam Klein, a German immigrant who came to the community in the 1840s.

Lovett got his first guitar when he was 7 years old and his first public performance came in the second grade when he sang Long Tall Texan at a school talent show, which he later recorded as a duet with Randy Newman on the 1996 release The Road to Ensenada.

Music took a back seat until Lovett arrived at Texas A&M University in 1975. The outlaw Texas music scene was in full throttle, fueled by renegade roots artists such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Murphy and others. Lovett was fascinated by the innovative blend of country, rock and blues, and often joined artists in informal, front-porch guitar pulls where he honed his musicianship.

It has been 22 years since Lovett arrived in Nashville, Tenn., with a demo tape hinting of the brilliantly eccentric career to come -- a resume that now includes nine albums, acclaim from the pickiest of critics, a fiercely loyal fan base, sales upwards of four million, and a second calling as a successful Hollywood actor.

Lovett is one of the few artists who emerged out of Nashville's whirlwind of experimentation in the mid-1980s to have an enduring, significant and boldly original career.

Tickets are on sale now at the Civic Center box office, and all Ticketmaster locations. For tickets, call 251-5505 or www.ticketmaster.com.

<p>ASHEVILLE -- Lyle Lovett will perform in concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>Born on Nov. 1, 1957, Lovett was raised north of Houston in the unincorporated farming community known as Klein community, named after Lovett's great-great grandfather Adam Klein, a German immigrant who came to the community in the 1840s.</p><p>Lovett got his first guitar when he was 7 years old and his first public performance came in the second grade when he sang Long Tall Texan at a school talent show, which he later recorded as a duet with Randy Newman on the 1996 release The Road to Ensenada.</p><p>Music took a back seat until Lovett arrived at Texas A&M University in 1975. The outlaw Texas music scene was in full throttle, fueled by renegade roots artists such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Murphy and others. Lovett was fascinated by the innovative blend of country, rock and blues, and often joined artists in informal, front-porch guitar pulls where he honed his musicianship.</p><p>It has been 22 years since Lovett arrived in Nashville, Tenn., with a demo tape hinting of the brilliantly eccentric career to come -- a resume that now includes nine albums, acclaim from the pickiest of critics, a fiercely loyal fan base, sales upwards of four million, and a second calling as a successful Hollywood actor.</p><p>Lovett is one of the few artists who emerged out of Nashville's whirlwind of experimentation in the mid-1980s to have an enduring, significant and boldly original career.</p><p>Tickets are on sale now at the Civic Center box office, and all Ticketmaster locations. For tickets, call 251-5505 or www.ticketmaster.com.</p>